Hard center for rail crossings, frogs, and like track structures



April is ,1924. 1,490,410

, J. H. ASSELIN HARD CENTER FOR RAIL CROSSINGS, FROGS, AND LIKE TRACK STRUCTURES Filed Dec. 10 1923 I 2 Sheets-Sheet "1 O- IO 4 April.15 1924.

J. H. ASSELIN HARD CENTER FOR RAIL CROSSINGS, FROGS,

Filed Dec AND LIKE TRACK. STRUCTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 15, 1924.

warren STATES actic PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. ASSELIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

HARD CENTER FOR RAIL CROSSINGS, FROGS, AND LIKE TRACK STRUCTURES.

Application filed December 10, 1923. Serial No. 679,552.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. AssELIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hard Centers for Rail Crossings, Frogs, and like Track Structures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to street car and railway track structures, such as frogs, crossings and the like, and especially to a wearing block or insert to be placed at the point of greatest wear.

It is well known that the partsof the track structure that are subjected to the greatest Wear are the intersecting points of frogs and crossings. This is due to the fact that each crossover is grooved in opposite directions to form a clearance for the wheel flanges.

The tread of the car wheels in passing jump the flange grooves and therefore produce a severe pounding action and vibration which gradually crystallizes and breaks down the track structure. It is customary to place a wearing plate or insert at this point to take care of the excess wear, but the plates now in use are found to have many defects and have not proven satisfactory.

No effective method has been devised whereby the plates can be rigidly and permanently secured. Bolts and screws have been employed, but the threads are soon stripped by the continuous pounding action and the bolts fall out. Projecting lugs of various shapes and sizes for the reception of securing wedges, keys, etc., have been tried, but the lugs break off or the wedges work loose. A filling of spelter or other soft metal in connection with bolts, wedges, etc., is also used, to secure this in place, but the results are far from satisfactory, as the s elter crumbles and works out. I have foun that the majority of the plates employed are either too large in area or too thin, and are therefore cut through by the wheel flanges or otherwise broken'by pounding and leverage. .I have further found that the fastening means employed are not correctly applied or not sufficiently substantial to withstand the severe pounding and wear to which they are subjected.

The object of the present invention is therefore to generally improve and simplify the construction of the wearing plates now in use, to increase their thickness and weight, and further, to provide rigid and effective Fig. 3 is a plan view of a standard form of frog showing the application of the invention.

Flg. 4 is a cross-section on line 44, Fig. 3.

Referrlng to the drawings in detail, and

particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, A indicates in general a standard form of rail crossing, such as used in-street car and railway service; the crossing illustrated in the present instance being a so-called cast or integral crossing of the flange bearing type. A crossing of this character usually consists of a single casting provided with wings or extensions such as indicated, at 2, to which the ra1ls proper are bolted or otherwise secured by means of fish plates or the like. Crossings of this character are grooved in opposite directions as indicated at 3 and 4 to form a clearance for the car wheel flanges, and a severe pounding action is thus produced whenever a car or train passes asthe Wheels of each car or coach will jump the that their life and general utility are rather short due to numerous factors, first, because efficient means for securing them in place has not been devised, and secondly, because they are too large in area and too thin. The large area produces a lever action, causing gradual bending andbrea king of the plates, while the lack of body and weight when. the plates are too thin permits the wheel flanges to cut through and the plates to be otherwise broken by the pounding and wear to which they are subjected. 1

In .the present instance it willbe noted that the exposed area of each plate is reduced to a minimum. I employ a block which is angle shaped in horizontal crosssection, thereby reducing the amount of metal required and the exposed area to a minimum. I furthermore increase the thickness of the plates, thereby reducing wear and breakage action to a minimum. I fur thermore provide efiective means for secur ing the plates in place, and this is accomplished as follows:

By referring to Fig. 2, we will assume that the total height of the rail structure is approximately nine inches. If this is the case, I provide a recess at the intersection of each crossing point which has a depth of approximately six inches and a'contour or shape similar to that of the insert or block wl1icl1,'i11jtl1is instance is angle shaped.

By providing arecesswhich has a depth approximating two-thirds that of the total height of the structure, it is possible to employ a thick plate or block and to permanently and rigidly secure it by shrinkage fit and wedge action. The side wallsof the recess indicated at 5 are slightly tapered; that is, the dimensions between the side faces may be approximately one-eight of an inch greater at-the upper end of the recess than at the bottom. The wearing block B is similarly tapered and the side walls thereof are ground to form a snug fit; the lit being so close that it is necessary to heat the casting and expand the same before it is possible to insert the wearing block. Thislblock is inserted cold and as the casting proper cools, it contracts a suflicient amount to securely grip and secure the block, The block is further secured by means of a heavy, long tapered wedge, such as shown at 6. j This wedgepasses completely through the block as this is'provided with a central passage 7 for its reception. The wedge also passes B through theside Walls of the rail structure indicated at 8 and 9, and it issecured when inserted by an auxiliary wedge such as shown at 10.

The block B ispr'eferably constructed of manganese steel and therefore possesses great tensile andshearing strength, and; as such should "withstand practically any amount of pounding action and wear.

The wedges '6 are disposed on an angle with relation to intersection of the crossing and the wearing block and'as such are readily accessible when inserting or removing the same This method of applying wedges permits the use of a heavy and'substantial structure, or, in other words, a type of wedge which is equal to the loadand wear imposed thereon.

A reduced area is also important and it is obtained in this instance by 'making' the blocks angle shaped in plan view or. hori zontal cross-section; that is, substantially one-fourth of each plate is cut away as it is neither required nor used, as traffic moving in one direction will be supported by til 1,490,410

the portions of the blocks indicated at 11 and 12, while trallic traveling in the opposite direction will be supported by the blocks indicated at 11 and 13. The fourth block, which would appear if the plate were square or rectangular, is eliminated, as waspreviously stated, as it could never be used regardless of the direction of the traffic. The blocks are therefore materially reduced in area and leverage action is similarly reduced.

By referring to Fig. 3 it will be noted that'a standard form of rail frog is shown. The insert is here generally indicated at C and as such is rectangular in shape. The upper surface is provided with two grooves as shown at 14 and 15 which join each other at the point 16, but the block is otherwise heavy or deep in cross-section to obtain the required strength and rigidity. Two tapered wedges are employed, one at each end thereof, said tapered wedges passing completely through the wearing block and the side walls of the rail structure. The tapered wedges are proportionately heavy and they are secured in a manner similar to that illustrated in'Fig. 2. They are therefore equal to thelo'ad imposed and should withstand the usual pounding and wear without dam-- ger of fracture or removal.

-The block C is also shrunk fitted and as such .is not only held in position bythe tapered wedges, but also by thecontracted side wallsof the rail structure.

The wearing blocks here shown may be removed if required, but actualpractice shows that they outwear the adjoining rail structure if anything. This is contrary to common practice inasmuch as the wearing plates are usually the first part of the rail structure to give way, but this is caused by thedefectspreviously mentioned; that. is, if the fastening means are not sufficiently rigidtheysoon break or work loose and the plates then begin to vibrate and work in their seats. This vibration causes a gradual crystalhzation and Wear ng away of the metal, this being true of the plates proper,

as well as the'surrounding structure. It is for this reason, that a rigid attachment is one of the most essential features. This has been amply taken care of in the structure illustrated in the present application and is proving a great improvement over present practice. 7

While certain features of the present.in vention are more or less specifically illustrated, I wish it understood that various changes in form and proportion may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims. I similarly wish it understood that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the experience and judgment of the manufacturer may dictate or various uses may demand.

1. The combination with a rail crossing having a recess formed centrally of the crossing, of a wearing block adapted to be received by the recess, and a taper wedge member extending completely through the wearing block and the crossing to secure the block in the recess.

2. The combination with a rail crossing having a recess formed centrally of the crossing, of a wearing block adapted to be received by the recess, a taper wedge member extending completely through the Wearing block and the crossing to secure the block in the recess, and other means securing the wedge against removal.

3. The combination with a rail crossing having a recess formed therein at the point of crossing, of a wearing block adapted to be received by the recess, said block having a wedge-receiving passage formed therein and extending therethrough, and said rail crossing having aligning openings formed therein, and a wedge adapted to be passed through the aligned passages and to be secured when inserted.

4. A crossing of the character described,

having a recess formed therein which is angle shaped in horizontal cross-section, a wearing block of similar shape insertible in the recess, said block and crossing having aligned openings formed therein, and a wedge adapted to'be received by the aligned openings and to extend therethrough, said aligned openings and wedge passing through the apex of the angle block and the crossing.

JAMES H. ASSELIN. 

